What Comes First
by gleekymcgrey
Summary: Series of one-shots centered at just about anything. Fluffy shorts to counter the angsty cloud of waiting for Season 6. Could be AU/Canon.


**A series of one-shots centered around the father-daughter relationships in the show. Alexis/Castle and Beckett/Jim. Fluffy stories to fight the angst.**

**I do not own Castle. Although, I kind of wish I did.**

**Enjoy!**

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Thermometer under the tongue, a teaspoon of strawberry-flavored (yet equally awful) Paracetamol, a glass of water to mask the medicine, then a glance on the thermometer, before he sighed in utter relief. If he was lucky, this could well be his four year-old daughter's last dose of medicine.

"Am I getting better, daddy?" she asked timidly, two thirds of her body buried under her thick, Little Mermaid-printed comforters, long, red hair sticking out from the earmuffs she insisted on wearing despite the terrible weather. Castle smiled, and ran his fingers through the locks of hair on the pillow.

"Making miracles." he reassured her; holding a thumb up. Alexis giggled in return, and sat up, knowing just what will happen next.

Such an energetic little Castle. Or maybe she got that part from her mother, the equally impulsive Meredith who had divorced him a little while back, leaving him with a sole custody with their daughter. It was a blessing in disguise. Alexis was all that he needed, and having her only in the weekends was a future he didn't see for himself, or his little girl.

He arched an eyebrow, pretending to have not the slightest idea of her sudden excitement.

"Daddy?" she slumped on her back, her voice higher than usual.

Castle chuckled. There would be a special place in hell for fathers who messed with their daughters—hope not. "Okay, okay, we're going to the skating rink." he raised both his arms in surrender, "—as promised, m'lady,"

She giggled, something that always makes Castle the proudest person in the world. He sure couldn't please everyone, but he could always make Alexis smile. And that's enough. Alexis got to her feet, and mimicked a curtsy she saw in Disney channel.

"Why, thank you, King Richard," she replied with a terrible imitation of old English accent, but it was still very, very adorable.

Castle pulled her in for a tight hug, absent-mindedly checking her temperature one last time, before he released her. "Why don't you pick your own clothes, and I'll check on you after I get change?"

She lightened up. "Yes, yes" Alexis ushered her father out, and hurried to her closet.

Meredith never let her choose her clothes. She had a great taste in clothing, being an actress and all, but he knew how Alexis complained about the all-too uncomfortable dresses her mother made her wear. Castle changed into a pair of cargo pants and polo shirt, and put a cap over his head. He smiled, and grabbed a matching cap for Alexis. He put his phone and wallet on opposite pockets, and was ready in less than five minutes.

Women took longer times to change, and he assumed Alexis wouldn't be any different.

Wow, time flew by. It seemed to be only yesterday when he paced the hospital corridor with his mother, heart beating out of his chest as he waited for Meredith to deliver. He could still remember the explosion of butterflies in his stomach when he first saw his little bundle of joy, a thin layer of short, brown strands of hair sticking out of her small head. Her tiny frame felt ever so fragile against his broad shoulders, and he mentally instructed himself to remember all the research he had done on how to hold a newborn baby. Then she opened her eyes, precious blue irises similar to his. She was the most perfect baby girl he had ever seen—something every parent will say to their kids, but to hell with that. Alexis was pretty perfect, and he was the happiest person in the world.

"Ta-da!" she jumped to his door, proudly presenting her tank top, capris pants and sneaker ensemble.

"It's cold outside, darling. Are you sure you wanna…"

She held out a jacket from behind and waved it in front of her. "I have this."

Castle smirked. Because he couldn't just quite place yet where Alexis learned to be initiative. He wasn't very good in that area. He gestured for her to come close, and she waddled her way to her dad, all smiles. Castle put the matching cap on her small head, watching how her eyes lit up when she noticed the same design on her dad's crown.

"W-oow," she swooned, adjusting it to her specifications.

"Like it?"

"Love it."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

He unbuckled his seat belt, then Alexis'. At four in the afternoon, the park was pretty full. Children running back and forth green fields, boys swaying high to the skies on the swings, others climbing the safe height of the nets, all the usual park scenarios he had written more than once in his novels. He held Alexis' small hand and led her to a vacant stone table for two that was usually a spot for the hormone-whiplashed teenagers. Thankfully, there were none of that now; or there were some PG-rated few.

Castle set the picnic box on the table, and took out a juice box for Alexis, a soda for himself, then two tuna sandwiches for the both of them. He became quite an expert for kiddie meals when Alexis came.

She gratefully mauled her sandwich, excited to try the new seesaw stormed by kids her age.

"Careful, there's plenty of time for play,"

She looked up. "But it's already four," Alexis mumbled in a cute lisp. "We're going home soon, right?"

Castle pulled a funny face, "What? Who told you that? Pssh."

"We're not going home soon, dad?" she beamed at him, her clear, blue eyes brimming with excitement. Well, maybe this-overly-excited-about-things part of Alexis was from him. "YES!"

"Now, eat slowly. You don't want to choke on that perfectly delicious food." He pointed a finger, and went on gobbling his own. She dipper head down shyly, and ate a little more slowly, somewhat close to what is socially accepted. Stubborn little Castle. This part of Alexis he was sure she got from him.

Alexis' eyes wandered to the width of the park, and set her glance on two older kids, a boy and a girl, sharing their soda in one straw, feeding each other chocolate from a freshly opened box. She grimaced. "Ew!"

Castle looked up from his sandwich, "What ew? Something in your sandwich?"

"No, dad," she replied briefly, eyes fixed somewhere else but her food. He followed his gaze, and smiled as he found what she was fussing about. "The girl is letting the boy drink from her straw. Cooties!"

He couldn't contain the laugh that escaped his mouth. "You think it's gross, sweetie?"

She nodded, eyebrows furrowed. What an adorable little tyke. "It is MORE than gross." Alexis looked away, and drifted her attention back to the last piece of bread left uneaten. "Why do they do that, dad?"

Well, trick question. Not the first he got from his brilliant four-year old. She had asked about where babies came from, and that was tough. Even for a writer who made things up for a living. But then, he could always settle with simpler things.

"A time will come, you'll be here, or someplace else, with another boy that isn't me." She perks up, and hangs on to every word he said. "Someday you won't find it so gross anymore. See, like us. Only, when you're much, much older…"

She nods, still searching for answers. He wasn't even sure if she was getting any of it; but with her brilliant mind, she could be. "When you're older, you're going be with another boy, and you'll be okay with it. But…" he held a finger for a point, "…not today." Because right now, she was just his own little girl.

She paused, taking a moment or two to process the information. Then Alexis looked up, not quite convinced. "But I don't want that."

He sighed, thinking he did a bad job in explaining. "Why not?"

"You said I'm going to be with another boy that isn't you." She pointed out.

"That's right."

Alexis sighed, and looked at him with pleading eyes. "But I don't want to go with another boy. I only want to be with _you_."

He smiled from ear to ear, awakening the butterflies that had long slept in his stomach. He reached out, and tapped the protruding part of her cap, making her squirm. If that could just be true. As much as it hurt to imagine that someday, he'll have to let her go, he tried and focused himself on the now.

Right now, Alexis wanted nothing more than their breakfast feasts and grocery shopping.

Right now, Alexis wanted nothing more than to be taken to the park, or picked up from pre-school.

Right now, Alexis, his perfect little angel, wanted nothing more than to be with him.

If only right now could stay forever.

Yeah, that would be _perfect_.

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**Thoughts? Reviews. Please?**

A little something I wrote in between internet surfing and studying for my exams (which will be on Thursday). Wish me luck!

Didn't do a lot of checking on this story, so excuse the errors. Update on** Love Did Not Wait For Kate Beckett** in a few days. I have to think the plot through and through for a bit of authenticity and realism.


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